Private Church H. Smith of Company A, 46th Illinois Infantry, was captured at Vicksburg on the night of May 25, 1863. Taken to the city jail, he and a number of other Union prisoners were paroled and sent across the Mississippi River into Union lines after a few days. Church wrote of this episode, "Well night came after a while and before daylight had made its appearance we were all in Ranks and marching down tot eh Levee where as soon as light we were convoyed across the River. We were not much sorry to leave Vicksburg but we were much glad to get into our lines again...We gave all our clothes a good washing for our stay in Vicksburg gave us lice by the wholesale..."

A copy of the Church Smith manuscript is at the Old Court House Museum in Vicksburg